CONSOLIDATION OF THE COMMITTEES.—The Joint Committee, consisting of the Standing Committees on Foreign Missions, Domestic Missions, Education, and Publication, propose to this Assembly the following resolutions:

Resolved, 1. That the Executive Committees on Education and Publication shall consist of the same persons, under one Secretary, and shall be empowered to take in charge the work hitherto entrusted to these two Committees; and that the Executive Committees of Foreign and Domestic Missions shall be composed of the same persons, under one and the same Secretary, and that the whole work of Foreign and Domestic Missions be committed to their care.

Resolved, 2. That the business, records, and funds of the four Executive Committees shall be kept distinct from each other, notwithstanding this arrangement, and that the arrangement now adopted continue in force till the next meeting of the General Assembly.

The following were appointed as the Executive Committee of Foreign and Domestic Missions:

Secretary of Foreign and Domestic Missions.-Rev. J. Leighton Wil

son. D. D.

Treasurer.-Rev. Prof. James Woodrow.

Members.-Rev. B. M. Palmer D.D., Rev. G. Howe, D.D., Rev. J. B. Adger, D.D., Rev. A. A. Porter, Rev. F. P. Mullally, Mr. Henry Muller, Mr. Campbell R. Bryce, Mr. Andrew Crawford, Prof. Joseph Le Conte. Of Publication and Education, as follows:

Secretary of Publication and Education.-Rev. John Leyburn, D.D.
Treasurer.-Mr. Archibald Bolling.

Members. Rev. T. V. Moore, D.D., Rev. M. D. Hoge, D.D., Rev. William Brown, D.D., William F. Taylor, W. M. Elliot, Roger Martin, W. Hargrave White, J. D. K. Sleight, W. D. Cook.

Board of Directors of the Theological Seminary at Columbia, as follows: Board of Directors of the Theological Seminary at Columbia.-Andrew Crawford, Treasurer; Rev. John Douglas, Rev. Joseph R. Wilson, D.D., Rev. J. Leighton Wilson, D.D., Rev. Samuel H. Hay, Rev. E. P. Palmer, Rev. R. K. Porter, Rev. William Banks, Hon. T. C. Perrin, Hon. J. A. Inglis, and J. A. Ansley, Esq.

THANKS of the Assembly were returned to the citizens of Columbia, South Carolina, for the cordial and elegant hospitalities which have been dispensed to the members during their attendance on the sessions of this body.

It was Resolved, That the Assembly be dissolved, and that another General Assembly, chosen in the same manner, be required to meet in the Presbyterian Church, at Charlotte, N. C., on the first Thursday of May, 1864, at 11 o'clock, A. M.

JOHN N. WADDEL, D.D., Jos. R. WILSON, D.D., JAS. A. LYON, D.D., Permanent Clerk.

Stated Clerk.

Moderator.

THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH IN THE CONFEDERATE STATES OF AMERICA, met in the Presbyterian Church, Charlotte, N. C., on Thursday, May 5, 1864, and was opened with a sermon by the retiring Moderator, JAMES A. LYON, D.D., from 1 Thessalonians ii. 4: "But as we were allowed of God to be put in trust with the Gospel, even so we speak; not as pleasing men, but God which trieth our hearts."

The Permanent Clerk reported the following as members of the

Fourth General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church, (C. S. A.)

JOHN S. WILSON, D.D., of Flint River Presbytery, was elected Moderator. Rev. THOMAS L. PRESTON, of Lexington Presbytery, was chosen Temporary Clerk.

Bills and Overtures.

JAMES A. LYON, D.D., Chairman, reported as follows:

OVERTURE, NO. I.-From Mississippi Synod: "Does the Form of Government grant the right of voting in the election of pastor to any but church members, who submit to discipline, and contribute their just proportion according to their engagements?"?

Answer. The Form of Government is liable to misconstruction as to the persons entitled to vote in the calling of a pastor; consequently, different and conflicting interpretations are constantly given to that portion of chapter xv. which treats of the election of a pastor; therefore, the General Assembly refer this subject to the Committee on Revision, with instruction so to frame this portion of chap. xv. as that it will admit of no ambiguity or misconstruction. Adopted.

No. II.-The Presbytery of Hopewell respectfully overtures the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in the Confederate States of America to make a deliverance on the subject of licensing colored exhorters and preachers to labor among our colored population; and, if deemed advisable, to take some action, prescribing a mode of licensure for such laborers, and defining their status when thus licensed.

A true extract from the Minutes of the sessions of Hopewell Presbytery, held at Sparta, Ga., March, 1864.

It was Resolved, That the Assembly would refer the subject of authorizing colored men to exhort, and teach, and labor among the colored population, to the wisdom and discretion of Church Sessions, until some suitable plan for the religious instruction of colored people can be devised by the Assembly.

No. III.-Being a paper from a member of Central Mississippi Presbytery, as follows:

In view of the fact that efforts have already been made to secure the permanent organization among us of voluntary societies, to take the place of certain national societies from which we have been separated by the present revolution, the General Assembly is hereby overtured to take the subject under consideration, and to appoint a committee to report to the next Assembly whatever action they may deem needful, in order to secure the rights of the Presbyterian Church in so many of them as that venerable court may find needful, and may be prepared to recommend to the churches under its care for their co-operation. It is further overtured that the said committee be instructed to take into consideration the propriety of the Assembly's making a deliverance announcing her position in the following particulars: 1. The Presbyterian Church holds that God has committed the whole work of the publication of the Gospel, and the ingathering of sinners into his kingdom, to his Church in its organized capacity, which is a divinely called and constituted Missionary and Bible Society. The officers of that Church are those to whom, by divine vocation, the executive administration of the affairs of the Church has been committed; insomuch that no part of the work of the Church has been left intrusted to irresponsible organizations, associations, or societies; nor does God confer authority on any in the conducting of the affairs of his kingdom for a pecuniary consideration. 2. The national societies of the North have been a source of much trouble and a cause of constant anxiety to the Presbyterian Church. Some of them she was compelled, many years ago, to exclude from her pulpits, and others of them have frequently given her much cause of complaint; and several times she has been constrained to interfere in order to prevent pro

ceedings, hurtful in their tendency or wrong in principle, which she could not tolerate.

3. The principle on which these national societies are organized, viz.: that of voluntary association-is contrary to the doctrine of the Bible, and of the mass of Protestant Christendom, that the Church is a divine organization, and its duties are obligatory on all of Christ's people. The terms of membership, moreover, and the principle on which men secure influence and gain control in these societies, is a species of simony, since the one and the other are purchased by money. Against this principle and practice the Presbyterian Church must ever protest.

4. The Constitution of the Presbyterian Church, and the symbols of the bulk of Presbyterian Churches, recognize the propriety of holding General Councils of the Church, either national or oecumenical. This principle may be made available here; and Councils or Conventions of the Protestant and Evangelical Church can be held, with reference to any particular subject, or to the interests of the Church in the general, according to the emergencies of the case.

5. This is the proper time to settle these questions of vital interest on a true, scriptural, and satisfactory basis, before any of these national organizations have become naturalized among us. It is our belief that the Church ought to determine how many of these organizations the interests of our common Christianity may require, and that she ought to hold in check the disposition to any undue multiplication of outward and irresponsible agencies for doing her own appropriate work. Moreover, we hold that so many national organizations as may be deemed needful should be founded by the Church herself; and that, therefore, the different branches of the Protestant Church, which recognize each other as evangelical, ought to form an alliance for the management of these important interests. The members of these national organizations ought to be appointed by the proper authority of the respective churches, according to their several constitutional forms, and thus the whole of this difficult subject, as to how many of these societies may be needed, and as to what their powers should be, and how they should be managed, would be kept under church control.

6. The national societies which it is now attempted to organize on the New England principle, ought to be notified at once of the views of the Assembly, and they ought to be informed that any co-operation which we may extend to them will be temporary, and only continue until we are able to see the above views carried out.

It was Resolved, That a committee be appointed to consider this Overture, and report to the next General Assembly.

E. T. Baird, D.D., Joseph R. Wilson, D.D., and James A. Lyon, D.D., were appointed this committee.

JUDICIAL COMMITTEE.-WILLIAM S. WHITE, D.D., Chairman, reported that no business was submitted to them.

Theological Seminaries.

M. D. HOGE, D.D., Chairman, reported as follows:

The Committee on Theological Seminaries report to the General Assembly that they have had under consideration the report of the Board of Directors of Union Theological Seminary, of date July 22, 1863, and the reports of the Faculty and Board of Directors of the Theological Seminary of the

Synod of South Carolina and Georgia, of the months of April and May respectively, for 1864.

In the report of the Directors of Union Theological Seminary nothing is proposed requiring any action on the part of the Assembly, except the following resolution, adopted at their meeting on May 13, 1862:

Resolved, That the Synods be requested to change the close of the session from the second Monday in May to the last Thursday in April, so as to allow time for the report of the Directors to reach the General Assembly of the same year; and the succeeding session commence on the last Thursday of August ensuing.

The Assembly is requested to assent to the above, that when acted on by the Synods it shall be in force.

Your Committee, in conclusion, would congratulate the Assembly and the Church that the important work of completing the endowments of these two Seminaries has been prosecuted so successfully, and they take occasion to express the earnest hope that the day is not far distant when, in the good providence of God, these institutions may be enabled to resume their full work, with their halls filled with students, to go forth through long succeeding years of prosperity and peace for the proclamation of the Gospel in our own and in foreign lands.

REPORT OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY AT COLUMBIA.-The Board of Directors of the Theological Seminary of the Synod of South Carolina and Georgia submits the following report on the State of the Seminary to the General Assembly.

Two meetings of the Board have been held since the last General Assembly. At the first meeting, which was held at the Seminary on the second day of September, 1863, the Board was organized by the appointment of Thomas C. Perrin, Chairman, and the Rev. Samuel H. Hay, Clerk. At this meeting by-laws were adopted, and the Investing Committees were appointed the one for the State of Georgia consisting of J. W. Davies and George M. Thew, and the one for South Carolina, John A. Crawford and J. Leighton Wilson. The second meeting was held at the Seminary, commencing the second of May, instant, and continuing until the evening of the third. At this meeting a general investigation was made into the internal management of the Seminary, the library, buildings, laws and regulations, and the finances.

The Board regrets to have to report that, owing to the peculiar state of the country, and the need for young men in the field, the number of students has been reduced from sixty-two, the number before the commencement of the war, to seven the present year. Upon the return of peace it is hoped and believed that the former, if not an increased number of candidates for the Gospel ministry, may be found seeking knowledge at this long-established School of the Prophets, and that the hearts of the Professors may again be gladdened by the evidences that they are again disseminating to a large number the knowledge of sound theology and Gospel truth.

Owing to the absence of two of the Professors of the Seminary, on important committees of the Assembly, the providential disability of another one, and the very small number of students in attendance, the Board concluded to dispense with the annual examination. We are unable, therefore, to make any report as to instruction or the proficiency of the students.

THE LIBRARY.-But few books have been added to it the past year. It is large, (consisting of about eighteen thousand volumes,) well selected, is carefully kept, and is in good condition. The Board acknowledges its obli